Brandon Twp.- The township board has unanimously approved a 1-year contract with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office with no increase in cost.
The township will contract for 12 deputies, with a total cost of $1,603,501 for 2016. The township will be reimbursed $94,000 from the school district for the cost of a liaison officer.
‘I am glad we were able to contract with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office again without an increase in cost,? said Township Supervisor Kathy Thurman. ‘We are happy with the service we’ve been getting. The officers do a great job protecting the community and assisting our fire department.?
OCSO Sgt. Greg Glover said it is nice to have a township board that supports police, as well as residents who show their support, particularly with passage last year of a police millage.
‘The reason it wasn’t a 3-year contract is because the Oakland County Deputy Sheriff’s Association is currently in contract negotiations and they haven’t ratified a contract,? said Glover. ‘The sheriff’s office doesn’t know what the new contract will bring, but knew they could give a 1-year contract to the township for the same price.?
During the township board’s Nov. 2 meeting, Glover also presented a year-to-date report on dispatched calls, incidents, and traffic citations. The substation is averaging 25-30 calls per day and has responded to 4,603 calls so far this year, with slight increases in family trouble calls, operating while intoxicated arrests and larcenies from vehicles.
Glover notes that the majority of drunk driving arrests occur during the midnight shift and he said the addition of a second patrol unit has made a big difference for the township.
‘We have a bigger presence and it results in more traffic stops,? he said. ‘Citizens also call more often now when they see drunk drivers, and they follow them until we arrive.?